250 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. I.
rainbow is not a cause why God will not drown the world, but a sign that God will not drown the world ; and as it is a sign that God will not drown the world, we may and ought to rejoice in it, and to take com- fort from it, Gen. ix. 1 3, 14, 16. So here, &c. It is agreed on all hands, that sanctification is a precious benefit of the covenant of grace, as well as justification ; and what crime can it then be to evidence one benefit of the covenant of grace, by another benefit of the same covenant ? Jer. xxxiii. 8, 9 ; Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26 : Heb. viii. 10, 12, &c. That he that is justified, is also sanctified, and that he that is sanctified is also justified, is so clear, so bright, so sparkling, and so full a truth contained in the covenant of grace, that no man or devil can deny. Now what evil or error can it be for a man to assert, that he that is certainly sanctified, is certainly justified — it being the very language of the cove- nant of grace — and that therefore he that knows himself to be sanctified, may also know thereby that he is justified. Certainly, those persons that shall deny sanctification to be a most sure, sweet, and comfortable evidence of man's justification, they must not only blot out, and abolish the epistles of James and John, but must also raze out and abolish all those evangelical promises of grace and inercy, of happiness and blessed- ness, that are made to such persons as are invested, enriched, and be- spangled with the several graces of the Holy Spirit. This might be made evident by many hundred scriptures, but take that one for all, Mat. V. where our Saviour himself, who was the most evangelical preacher that ever was in the world, makes eight or nine promises of mercy and blessedness to those very persons that had the graces of the Spirit in- herent in them, as poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, &c. O sirs ! why should we be so frequently and earnestly called upon to try and examine ourselves, whether we be in the faith or no, 2 Cor. xiii. 5, if we were not to come to the knowledge of our faith, in a discursive way, arguing from the effect to the cause ? Have not the saints of old come to assurance, and the knowledge of the goodness of their estates, this way ? Ponder seriously on that : 2 Cor. i. 12, ' For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, we have had our conversation in the world.' Mark,' their joy was founded on the testimony of their conscience, and their conscience gave in this testi- mony from the sincerity of their conversation in this world. So Paul in that, 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8, ' I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith : henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.'' How plainly, how fully, how with open mouth, as I may say, does he conclude his riglit to the crown of righteousness, — so called, partly because it is purchased by the righteousness of Christ, and partly because he is righteous that hath promised it, and partly because it is a just and righteous thing with God to crown them with glory at last, who have for the gospel sake, and his glory sake, been crowned with shame and reproach in this world, and partly, if not mainly, be- cause it is a crown that can only be had or obtained in a way of right- eousness and holiness, — from his graces and gracious actings in this world :
' T«v a.yZ)ia, rflv kolxIi iiyuviiriActi. Certamen illnd prcEclarum certavi. — Beza. 1 have fought that excellent fight, by wrestling. The apostle useth the same metaphor also in that 1 Cor. ix, 25.
Chap. I.] a cabinet of jewels. 251
' I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith ;' yea, it is further observable, that in the blessed Scripture, we are strongly pressed to do good works, that by them we may make our calling, election, and salvation sure : 2 Peter i. 10, ' Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure, by good works.' So say all the Latin copies, and so say some Greek copies, though not those that our English translators have been pleased to follow, and that is the reason why those words, ' by good works,' are not in our English Bibles ; but he that shall seriously weigh the scope of the apostle in this place, he must of necessity grant, that good works are to be understood, though they are not expressed in the text ; and that of the apostle in 1 Tim. vi. 16-18, seems plainly and strongly to sound the same way.
The second raaxim or consideration.